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“Because there’s only one way this ends.” With a groan, she peels her glasses off and throws them down into her lap.
“No, we decide how and if it ends.”
A soft smirk tugs at one side of her mouth. “What happened to making me believe in fate, Grizzly?”
“I am, Nova.” I playfully pinch the ticklish spot at her waist—the one I found this morning when she was teasing me about my grape bubblegum toothpaste and the ‘pretty’ lilac package it came in.
“I thought we were done with the fake names?” She laughs while I continue tickling her, allowing her to flip onto her knees between my thighs so we’re face to face again.
“It was never a fake name. It’s just the way I see you. You’re beautiful and bright, but when you explode, you’re real fucking special. A phenomenon like a supernova.”
From the way she looks away, I can tell she’s not used to compliments.
“And you know that after spending one day with me?”
I place my hands on her hips and bring myself closer until our noses are almost touching, and she gives me her eyes again. “I knew it the first second I saw you sitting at the airport bar.”
“I have abandonment issues,” she says, gripping my shoulders when I cup the side of her neck. Her manic heartbeat pounds against my palm, beckoning mine to fall into syncopation with hers.
“I’m loyal to a fault.” My lips brush hers.
“Are you admitting to a flaw?” Her mouth gapes, taunting my restraint.
“I’m admitting that I’m desperate to taste you, Cassidy.”
A hot breath whooshes from her, coating my lips with her sweetness, and the instant she licks over her bottom lip, I’m done waiting.
I press my mouth to hers as I trace my hand up her throat to her jaw. Her eyes close at the contact, and my heart jolts to a different level of euphoria when I lick inside her mouth and she mewls.
Fuck, she tastes better than I imagined. Sweeter, hotter, more addictive than I could have prepared myself for. Her kiss instantly becomes that one thing I’ll crave for as long as I live. When her hands claw into my nape, her nails raking through my hair, I deepen our kiss. Stroking my tongue over hers, I push my fingers into her hair, tugging so that when she moans, I drink it up greedily, gulping down every single whimper and groan until we’re both totally out of breath.
“Good golly,” she pants, eyes flashing open to mine. “Do you always kiss like that?”
“That’s not the half of it, darling.”
Cassidy nods, her smile growing when I pepper chaste kisses along her lips. I never knew it was possible to fall so hard for someone at first kiss, but now I’m certain that long after we’re gone from here, I’m going to need this—the overwhelming, all-consuming joy of her warmth, her taste, her ragged breaths, and her hungry stare.
CHAPTER 7
CASSIDY
The airport called while I was in the bath to let me know they’ve located my suitcase… in London. Every time I replay the message the airline left, I roll my eyes a bit harder. At the same time, I’m grateful I haven’t majorly cocked up and it’ll be waiting for me when I return on Monday evening—this bloody storm permitting it.
Once in a while, the snow eases, and just when I begin to think the weather front is passing, it returns with a vengeance. Unlike last night, after the kiss Leif and I shared, I don’t feel so frustrated by it. Sure, I hardly know him, but he’s gotten under my skin already. All I can think about is the way it feels to be near him. How he always has his hands on me in some shape or form, and the odd time he doesn’t, I’m bereft all over again, yearning to feel something other than loneliness and regret.
“Hey.” I spin away from the windows to find Leif standing in the doorway with a few large bags in his hands. “You okay, darling?”
That endearment has grown on me, making my heart giddy every time he uses it. I can hardly keep the smile off my face. When Leif comes into the room, every nerve in my body sparks to life. Anticipation of what he’s going to do or say builds in my belly, with a bazillion butterflies taking flight all at once.
The concern etched around his eyes as he takes me in from head to toe, in my skinny jeans and another of his shirts, eases when I reply, “Yeah, just thinking about things, you know?”
“I’ve been thinking, too.”
I’m certain he’s going to tell me our kiss is a mistake. That he didn’t enjoy it the way I did. Maybe I was a disappointment to him the same way I was to my ex.
Leif puts the black, nondescript shopping bags down by the bed before he stops in front of me. He instantly strokes my arms up to my shoulders, where he kneads my tense muscles.
“So, I made a mistake,” he starts, and all those butterflies that were fluttering earlier are now falling into the pit of my stomach one by one.
